Aleksandr Lukashenko meets with Rosatom Director General Sergei Kiriyenko 

President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko and Director General of the Russian state corporation Rosatom Sergei Kiriyenko discussed the progress on the project to build the Belarusian nuclear power plant at the meeting on 20 January.

The head of state suggested discussing the progress on the nuclear power plant project. "We borrowed money from Russia. It is approximately $10 billion. We found a contractor who would build the facility. But due to certain discrepancies, probably in the regulatory framework, some inconsistencies, certain issues do arise,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

"As sound stewards we should be careful with the public money and choose the most optimal cheap things though not to the detriment of quality and safety. This is probably the main thing that I should control as the President,” the had of state said.

Sergei Kiriyenko, for his part, thanked the Belarusian President for trust. “We understand the level of responsibility. We must build the safest plant. It should be reasonably priced, without any detriment to safety and quality. It should be constructed in the shortest time possible and with an opportunity of involving the maximally possible number of Belarusian companies, especially builders,” the Rosatom Director General said.

“I confirm all the obligations. We have been moving in this direction. I believe the situation on the construction site is good in general,” Sergei Kiriyenko added.

The Rosatom Director General praised the work of Belarusian specialists involved in the Belarusian NPP project. “I would like to do justice to the great professionalism, discipline, and dedication of Belarusian organizations which are taking part in the project,” Sergei Kiriyenko said.

In response, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that Belarusian specialists could take part in Russia’s NPP projects abroad. “If we have learnt to build a nuclear power plant, we could join you in constructing nuclear power plants to your technologies worldwide,” the Belarusian leader remarked.

“Indeed, you are absolutely right. We are ready to collaborate with companies that will prove the most professionally competent, not only in Russia, but also in third countries,” the Rosatom Director General said.

According to Sergei Kiriyenko, as of today, contracts have been signed to build 22 new power-generating units all over the world. These include the recently signed contracts in Hungary, Finland and Jordan. “We offer the same projects as the one that is being implemented in Belarus,” he said.

Sergei Kiriyenko said that Rosatom is planning to use the Belarusian NPP project in the construction of similar plants abroad. “It is the latest (3+) generation with so-called post-Fukushima safety requirements. If such a unit had been installed at Fukushima on the day of the disaster, the plant would have avoided all those consequences. It would have stopped working but safety would have been secured. There would have been no accident, no radiation,” the Rosatom Director General emphasized.

Sergei Kiriyenko also remarked that projects with similar safety requirements had been developed by other international companies as well. Russian technologies are preferable as they have already been tested.